Ice can easily crack or cause permanent damage to fountains or birdbaths. If you didn't cover them in the fall, then remove ice when you can and cover them now, or move them into a garage or onto a porch to protect them from further damage. Something as simple as turning the tops of your birdbaths upside down could make a difference in whether or not it cracks.

 

The prolonged cold temperatures may also help to kill off some of the pest populations and because of that, there may be a few less bugs to deal with this summer. Though mainly outdoor dwellers, when we have prolonged cold spells, as we have had this winter, it limits their activity and movement. Although they do have some survival skills, generally the longer and colder the winter, the worse their chances are. If you cleaned out your beds in the fall, then you helped to disturb or eliminate places for them to overwinter. If you didn't, and can get to some of your beds now, take a few minutes and pull leaves and debris away from shrubs and perennials. Yet this doesn't guarantee that there will be less insects overall. Some of them, like butterflies, have more sense than most and simply head south for the winter!

 

As tempting as it is, refrain from using rock salt or ice melter to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, patios and driveways. As the ice melts, the salty runoff will end up in your grass or in flower beds if they border walkways. The salt will harm and burn vegetation. A safer alternative is to shovel down as far as possible, then use kitty litter, sand, gravel, or my favorite, birdseed, as anti-skid materials. They are better choices for your landscaping, safer for the environment, and you'll feed your feathered friends too!